EHS4030 ¨C Environmental Sciences: Understanding Climate Change

Course content

There is currently no admission to the Honours Certificate in Environmental Humanities and Sciences. This is for an indefinite period.

Discomedusa. Ernst Haeckel's?Kunstformen der Natur (1904)

Over the course of five seminars, this course introduces you to the dynamic and rapidly evolving field of environmental humanities through close readings of selected texts that highlight both established and developing topics within the field. The course is curated by active researchers: each year the selection of topics and readings shifts, reflecting their focus and interests.

This year, the course will be taught by Marta Mboka Tveit and Patrick Brock, and focus on the nexus between colonialism and ecology, ?with special attention to Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. From situated viewpoints we critically examine extractivism, developmentalism and progress-thinking. Then we turn to new pathways and possibilities, examining recent social-ecological movements, such as Buen Vivir and the African Water Commons Collective, that can be called both anti-colonial and environmentalist, and possible strategies for imagining ecologies otherwise from the Global South.?

Learning outcome

Students will be able to:

• Explain the basic concepts of climate change science.
• Identify the anthropogenic drivers of climate change.
• Explain observed and projected trends in the climate system.
• Understand different climate change scenarios and their implications.
• Read and discuss scientific literature about climate change.

Admission to the course

This course is part of the Environmental Humanities and Sciences (honours certificate) (being phased out).

Students not enrolled in the certificate programme can be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

Teaching

The course will be held over 8 weeks (1 lecture block per week). Each lecture block (2x 45min) will consist of a lecture, student presentations and discussions. Each lecture topic is accompanied by compulsory preparatory reading and preparation of short student presentations/interventions.

Lectures 2-8 will start with a 30min discussion of the preparatory reading material which will be initiated by 3-4 short student interventions (reflections of the reading material).

Compulsory activities:

• At least 80 percent attendance with active participation in class, preparatory readings, and discussions.

This is how you apply for valid absence from compulsory activities/compulsory attendance.

Examination

Multiple choice questions on the topics discussed in the lectures.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.